Chapter Twenty-Three
Clara hummed softly and a happy laugh bubbled out as she set the table. She’d hauled six dining tables together to make one big one. All her guests were coming to dinner. She’d started planning a dinner for Zane to thank him for the impromptu party he’d thrown for her earlier in the week.
“What’s so funny?”
She glanced up at Zane who was leaning in the doorway between the kitchen and dining area. He wore a dress shirt and tie and nice slacks. He looked like a million dollars, but who took a tie on vacation? The man should be in a magazine. “Nothing’s funny. I’m just happy. Oh, you got a haircut.”
“I did. It was getting long. I stopped at the barber shop when I was out earlier. What’s going on?” He gestured toward the tables she’d covered with linen tablecloths.
“I invited you to dinner. Then invited Wren and Noah to thank them for all they had done. One thing led to another and next thing I knew, I’d invited everyone in the inn. All fifteen guests. At this point, not being fully booked is a mixed blessing.” She chuckled. She’d balanced the gratitude in her heart against her bank balance and decided that, in this case, the extra expense of having everyone come to dinner was well worth the cost.
“What can I do to help?”
Good grief, when was henotoffering to help? Sometimes, Clara swore Zane was too nice to be believed. Of course, that didn’t stop her from wanting to taste his lips again. Something about him drew her. Before she realized what was happening, she was standing beside him. Looking into his eyes.
She clenched her hands to keep from reaching for him and pulling him into an embrace. She’d been on her share of dates in the past, but not one single man had drawn her like Zane. He was like candy to a sugar addict. Sweet, enticing, irresistible. He leaned toward her, barely a fraction of an inch and she raised up on her toes to meet him.
Right before their lips met, someone giggled, and they jerked apart.
“Sorry about that,” Honey exclaimed. Her green eyes laughing. Her spiraling blond curls shone in the early evening light, filtering through the blinds. Honey grinned widely at Jane and Daisy who accompanied her. “Didn’t mean to interrupt anything. We brought you a gift.” She held up a box.
“It’s a cat!” The girls exclaimed in unison. “She’s a stray, but Daddy fixed her up. She needs a forever home,” Daisy added.
“A cat? I don’t recall saying I wanted a cat.” She wasn’t upset, just surprised.
“Your aunt always had a cat named Delilah, and this little lady looks just like her. I thought you might like her.” She thrust a box into Clara’s hands. “If you don’t want her, I can take her back to the clinic. She’s had all her shots and a full health exam. She’s got a few scars, maybe she’s been in a fight or two.”
“My aunt had a cat?” Clara asked, staring at the box, biting back the urge to cry. She’d known so little about Tilly.
“Ever since the first time I met her. We used to have tea every few weeks. She was special. Delilah passed right before your aunt, and she refused to get another one because she was getting on in years herself. I wonder if she sensed she was going to pass.”
Clara opened the box and pushed the flaps down. A bedraggled, scarred, and battered tortoiseshell cat stared up at her. She was the skinniest cat Clara had ever seen. Her heart cried out at the damage the tiny cat had lived through. “Oh my.”
“Yup. She’s a right ugly thing. Delilah was too.”
“She’s so ugly she’s adorable.” Zane reached in and let the cat sniff his fingers. The cat rewarded him by purring and head-butting his hand. “She’s a keeper for sure. But look at those scars!”
Half of one ear was missing, her tail was too short, and she had bald spots and scratches everywhere. She looked healthy but battered. The pitiful thing had endured some tough times.
“Riley said the missing fur may never come back,” Honey advised. “She’s fought a war, this one. But came through it with Riley’s help.”
“I guess I’ll call her Delilah. Hey there, missy.” She scratched Delilah’s head. “Welcome to your new home. I hope none of my guests are allergic. I’ll have to modify the website to say we have a pet now. I wonder about health regulations.”
“Should be fine,” Honey said. “I checked. Because this is a house, personal property, you can have pets. They’re common in bed and breakfasts. At least the ones I’ve stayed at.”
Delilah stood on her hind legs with one paw resting on the edge of the box. She reached the other out and bopped Clara on the chin, making her laugh. “Thank you, Honey. Thank you two as well, Jane and Daisy. I love her already.”
The girls clapped their hands and cheered. “Yay!” They clasped arms and spun wildly in circles until Honey commanded them to stop. “Okay, you hooligans. Time to go home for dinner.”
“Can we have pizza?” Daisy asked.
“We’ll see. Say goodbye and we’ll be off.” Honey smiled at Clara. “Let’s get together for coffee soon, that is, if I survive babysitting this duo. I’m not sure why I volunteered.”
Clara laughed. “You’re loving every second of it, I can tell.” Honey and her two nieces by marriage had a close bond. Her husband, Ira, had a similar bond with his nephews. The duo would make great parents. “Let’s do that, and you can tell me about meeting Ira and how he fits into the family. I had no idea Uncle Robert had another son.”
“That’s their story to tell. We’ll have you for dinner and we’ll swap stories. Soon. Before Christmas if I can swing a night free of other obligations. I’ll text you.”
“That works for me. Thanks for Delilah. See you soon. Goodbye, girls.”
